Pat Cummins has secured 309 Test scalps in 71 five-day games with an average of 22.10.
The Australian chief selector George Bailey has confirmed that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that the 32-year-old might sit out due to a persistent back stress problem that had not yet healed.
Earlier indications from the squad suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches set to start on 21 November in the WACA.
The selector shared that his recovery is on track and felt positive about the likelihood of taking part.
"We know that the window is narrowing and there are permutations at play, not only the physical problem, but further aspects," he commented.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he's going to play a major part. Hopefully from the opening match. Otherwise, we'll adjust."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand recently after scans revealed a lower back issue.
He has a history of back injuries, with recurrences in multiple past seasons causing him to miss three Australian summers in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the contest.
The selector indicated that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to be fit for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
The selector characterized it as a "minor" injury and confirmed that he'll feature in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the first Test as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the starting games in any case. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for another day, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Match Calendar
The Ashes: Australia v England
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
